The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

Local News

September 7, 2012

Venue change kills trip

Staff Writer Calvin Adkins

TARBORO — A change of venue for the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte left a few of Edgecombe County democrats, who were among 65,000 community ticket holders, disappointed because they would not be able to attend the convention.

The threat of severe weather caused organizers to move the Convention from the Bank of America Stadium to Time Warner Cable Arena that seats slightly more than 20,000. Heavy rains soaked the stadium Thursday afternoon.

Edgecombe County commissioner Viola Harris, Rocky Mount councilman Andre' Knight and political activist Curmilus Dancy of Pinetops had tickets to attend Thursday's night event. Through an email on Wednesday, they were told there would be a change of venue and they would not be able to attend.

As somewhat of a consolation, President Obama gave ticket holders an opportunity to participate in a conference call with with him at 1:20 p.m. Thursday.

"He apologized and encouraged us to continue to support him," Dancy said. "He also encouraged us to watch the convention tonight.

"I was a little disappointed but not as bad as some others may have been because I've seen him three times. At least I was given a chance to be on the phone with the president. That's an historical moment within itself."

Harris had all but packed her bags. The 11-year-veteran commissioner earned her ticket by working to get citizens to register to vote in Edgecombe County. She said when she received the email, she was "totally disappointed."

"But I'm not bitter," she said. "I understand why. At least I got the ticket that I will keep as a souvernir. And I will get chance to see it on TV where I've been watching it all along anyway. It gives me great pride when they scan across the thousands of faces and I see some of my fellow commissioners from other counties. I also saw (Nash County State Rep.) Angela Bryant.

"I'm not as upset as others because I've met him face-to-face before. I still have a picture of him and I that we took when he was at East Carolina University."

Unlike Dancy and Harris, Knight ventured to Charlotte anyway with hopes of maybe somehow squeezing in. If not, he was prepared to watch the convention at a designated place for ticket holders.

"Like thousands of others, I'm disappointed," he said. "But I still had to come. Just to be here in spirit and be a part of this historic moment. When I get back, I'm going to hit the streets in Rocky Mount and Edgecombe County and encourage everybody to get out and vote."

Dancy took the day off work to attend but, instead of twiddling his thumbs, he made the best of his new free time by cutting his grass. But Thursday night, he planned to be in front of the TV.

"I've been staying up all night long watching it every night," Dancy said. "I'm going to start at 6 o'clock and I'll be up all night again."

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